Politics & Government

How to Get Tickets to the Inauguration

Constituents should act quickly to request tickets from their congressman or senator for President Obama's Jan. 21 inauguration.

Interested in attending the presidential inauguration in Washington, DC, in January? There are a limited number of tickets, so your best bet is to request them now from your member of Congress.

Each Senator and Representative receives a limited quantity of free tickets that they may distribute to the public at their discretion. For Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and Rossmoor, that would be Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman-elect Alan Lowenthal.

for Los Alamitos and Rossmoor residents. Seal Beach residents could also turn to Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. To find your representative, enter your ZIP Code at the United States House of Representatives website.

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2009, President Obama's inauguration attracted 1.8 million to the National Mall, according to an estimate from the Washington Post.

President Obama's swearing-in will take place at noon Monday, Jan. 21 on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (He'll be sworn in privately the day before, due to a constitutional requirement that he be sworn in by Jan. 20, since the 20th falls on a Sunday.) If you don't get a ticket, there are large screens set up on the mall to watch the goings-on. 

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Viewing the swearing-in ceremonies from the National Mall does not require tickets. The non-ticketed area of the National Mall begins at Fourth Street NW.

The swearing-in and address will be followed by a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, which is open to the public.

Many states have their own inaugural balls. For those interested in attending Inaugural Balls and the Parade, tickets are available through the Presidential Inaugural Committee.


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